Method and apparatus for exhibiting seismograph signals



Feb. 10, 1948. o. F. RITZMANN 2,435,903

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EXHIBITING SEISMOGRAPH SIGNALS Filed Dec. 9, 1944 i1 c gi; 7.

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ME'1H0D-. AND APPARATUS FOR KING SEISMO'GRAPH i SIGNALS Otto F.- Ritzmanm Takoma Park, Md, assignor to Gulf Research '& -Development Company, Pittsburgh, I'Pa., a eorporationof Delaware Application Decembcri:9,-:1944, :Serial'No. 567,465

invention relates toia method and aD- paratus ,ior rrecording signals useiulin seismoz raphprospecting. IMore particularl it con- =:cerns amethod and'apparatus by which one may -.:.electrically:iconnected by cables'to a centralreacording .truck. A seismic earth disturbance is aaproducedbyia dynamite-explosion in thevicinity,

' the 1 seismic reflects at the various geophones being recorded .at the. truck through amplifiers and :conventio nalrecording apparatus. In the opera- :tionoithi zsystem it-is desirable to mark onthe recordingztape the instantatwhich the dynamite explosion "takes place, commonly called the shot,

moment. The: travel time of the various seismic waves is determined by simultaneously alsomarkting-omtheetape timing intervals obtained from a standard timing devicesuch as a tuning fork. In

, v athe so-calied reflection-type or seismograph prosipecting cthevover-all distances involved are not *veryllargegand it iszcustomary to obtain the shot i-momentfrom. the-shot point over a wire connecztionywhile timingis obtained from a device usuxally'locatedin the recordingtruck. In so-called :refraction a operations, the distances involved becomeinuchgreater. and it is customary to trans- ;mitltheshot:moment impulse by radio. If the '-aterrainiandrtherznature or the field set-up permit :recordingall: the 'geophones at a central record- 4 Claims. --.(ci.. 117-ss2 timing device being required and located only. at 1 the shot point. Thisarrangement also eliminates :any inaccuracies intiming which might be introduced by having a multiplicity oftiming units.

-; simultaneously and with'th same apparatus re- 5 This invention accomplishes the above aim-and cordon aseismograph film accurate timing marks has the advantage of reducing very materially --and-.accurate shot moment or other sharp im--- the total amount of equipment required for port- 'pulses. :able operations 'therebymakingsuch equipment :In .seismograph prospecting it i eust mar t :more easily transported-on mule back or by'boat 'rset :outon itl'ie:..ground a u b of gegphones .10 .or by pack. Furthermore, it eliminates a precise timing standard from each portable unit' and thereby reduces thecare which .must be taken in handling such equipment. This facilitates transportation when it'must be done by men or'animals.

.Itis accordingly an obiect or this invention to provide a method and-means for simultaneously transmitting and recording over a single channel an accurate timing'signaland an'accurateshot moment impulse. i

Another object of this invention is to momentarily-and automatically suppress 'but not obtaining a sharp shot moment signal whensupen imposed onv a continuous timing signal. 7

While described here for operation over. a radio channel, the invention-may beapplied as well if a wire connection is used. Details of the invention may bemore fully understood by reterence'to the drawings in which;

Fig.1 is a circuit'diagram showing one way of H '=ing:truck, the timing-device may still bemain- '35 a complishing the Object f "this invention; tainedinthertruck at that point. Fig. 2 shows a typical combination of timing JInmany'regions and in certain types of terrain and shot moment trace obtained by the use of "it-isiimpractical toconnecta. large number of this inventmn? and secphoneaproperly spaced to a central recording F g. 3 shows another embodiment of the inventtuckzbecause-oi thephysicaldiflicultyin'running 40 n in h interconnection between e shot rout a'flarge quantity of cab e; Such conditions fi m andtimlngdevlceis avoided. ;=-:.are -.met;i n,heavily-wooded and swampy regions, *Reierring tov Fig. 1, numeral i represents a cona in water operations .or in mountainous terrai ventional radio transmitter used at the shot loca- -.Conditiongsuchsasthisrequire'that'each.recordtionand having conventionalgrcund connection vingastation'be a'portableunit andits weight must a d 1 e na .3. udio-signal .inputto t e lconsequentlyqbe-- -gduc -t Each .tra'nsmitteris indicated-to be obtained from secr rrecording stat ion would in such an v:operation o ry vc011 4 01 r nsf r N li r pre- -zzmaintain radicequipment iorccmmunicationand .sents .a hand-operated type of shot firing generashotmoment transmission and-must also have tor -having' .an armature 1 caused to rotate by available .an .raccurate timing: source. Itris .de- .9 *D s ns h n le' Th rv ation' f e generator -sirable then toalso transmitithetimingsignal as energizes shunt connected fieldcoil 9 and the re-' ll e the'shotmomentimpulse over-the already 'SultingJgenerated voltage is filteredby a convent available radio channel. By-doing so one elimitional 10w pass'filter indicated by numeral ID. A nateathe-weightand duplication of an accurate safety'switch ii in serieswi'th thegenerator'pre- .deviceat .eachrecording station, only one 5 vents it rromdelivering current until theoperator numeral it, usually is ready to fire. In series with the generated voltage is blasting cap I! which ignites the dynamite Resistor l3 permits a signal to be transferred from this cap circuit to the radio transmitter as will be described later.

A standard timing device is represented by comprising an electrically driven tuning fork vibrating at an accurately known frequency, Electric signal obtained from this fork may be continuously fed into the audio circuit of a radio transmitter and the shot moment signal from resistor l3 superimposed upon it. Recording may then be done over a single channel and with a single oscillograph. In'the operation or this invention the shot moment will be unmistakably distinguishable on the trace, the timing signal being momentarily reduced just before the shot is fired. This reduction is automatically accomplished by the firing current so that the time.interval during which. the timing signal is suppressed is a minimum; The time may easily be interpolated on the recording tape since the tuning fork runs continuously and executes a whole number of, cycles during the intervah In the circuit of Fig. 1 the tuning fork signal is applied across resistor l5 which isin series with resistor I3 leading to the grid l6 of triode tube l'l.;- Plate I8 of this tube connects through the primary l9 of transformer 5 to conventional plate supply. With switch It open, this circuit functionsto'impress a standard 100 cycle-tuning fork signal on to the audio circuits of radio trans mitter I. This signal may be picked up at each geophone recording station by means of conventional radio receiving apparatus 30, the output of which is impressed on oscillograph galvanometer 33. This galvanorneter may be one of the galvanometers of a conventional recording apparatus, and refiects a beam of light from lamp 34 to moving photographic tape 35 on which a permanent recording of the received signal is made by known photographic processes,

When the operator is ready to fire the shot,

he may close safety switch ll (Fig. 1) This does not affect the transmission'of the timing signal. Firing is accomplished by pushing the handle 8 of the shooting machine. The polarity of connections is such that when a current is generated in the cap circuit, grid l6 becomesinegative, thereby reducing the sensitivity of tube "and suppressing the timing signal transmitted through it. Current builds up in the cap circuit as the generator armature accelerates in velocity until eventually cap l2 fires and the dynamite explodes, opening the circuit at point l2. This immediately releases the excess negative bias on grid i6 resulting in a strong impulse being transmitted. Theimmediate return to the normal operating point for tube l1 permits immediate resumption of transmission of the timing signal.

Fig. 2 shows a typical trace received by the operation of the above circuit. This is the trace which is recorded by the oscillograph 33 (Fig. 1)

connected to the radio receiver 30 at the recording station At 20 the record shows the normal 100; cycle :timing signal recorded prior to firing. Beginning at 2| there is a gradual reduction in the timing signal lasting a small fraction of a secondf this being the timeduring which the generator 'volta'ge builds up. At point 22 firing occurs with a sudden resumption of transmission of the timing signal at 23. Point'22 is seen to be an accurate indication of the shot moment because it shows no interference from the timing say 100 cycles per second.

signal.

there is no possibility ment.

timin in the process The recording tape normally runs at a reasonably constant velocity and therefore the Impulses of the type time intervals may easily" be stepped-off in the short interval between 2| and 22.

Instead of using atriode tube as shown in Fig. 1, the same result may beaccomplished by using a .pentode tube having a suppressor. This is shown in the circuit of Fig. 3 which has the further advantage of avoiding any interconnection between the tuning fork circuit and the shot moment circuit. The timing signal from unit 24 is fed into signal grid 25 of pentode 26. The shot moment signal is fed into the suppressor grid 21 of tube 26. coupling being provided by transformer 28. Shooting machine 6. cap l2 and switch I I all have the same form and function as in Fig. 1. Connections to the secondary coil 29 of transformer 28 should be such that when the shooting machine plunger is pushed in for firing the shot, grid 21 becomes more negative. As the cap current increases, the suppressor grid then becomes more negative thus decreasing the am plification of tube 26. Thus the tuning fork sig nal is momentarily suppressed. The amplificatiori suddenly returns to its normal value when the cap fires. A multi-grid mixer or converter tube could be used equally well. Plate connections from tube 26 to the radio transmitter may be through conventional coupling devices and connection 32.

In the operation of Fig. 3 the radio transmitter puts out a standard timing' signal from the tuning fork until switch II is closed and the plunger of firing device 6. begins tomove, thereafter the current slowly builds up in the cap. This rather slow transient generates sufiicient negative bias on grid 21. to lower the amplification of tube 26 so that the recorded trace is relatively quiet as indicated in the region between 2| and 22 in Fig. 2. At the firing instant the cap circuit opens and grid 21 returns to its normal bias so that transmission of the timing signal is automatically resumed. The trace recorded by transmission from the circuit of Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 2 previously described.

For simplicity in Figs. 1 to plate supply. bias voltages are not shown sincetliese are conventional. In all cases the normal operating voltages are such that when the firing current is applied to cap I 2, the resulting/change ln bias on grid I 6, Fig. 1, or grid 21. Fig. 3, will efiect' a reduction in amplification. v

While I have indicated in this :invention a method or automatically suppressing the tim ing signal in order to obtain on the trace a clearly defined shot moment impulse, itmay alternatively be applied to a. communication channel. which gradually increase and suddenly break ofi superimposed on speech or other intelligence taking the place of tuning fork units H or 24, respectively. It-is noted that the method of this invention does not cause the signals to be mixed and 3, the connections in the ordinary sense, but rather that the secheater supply,'screen and grid may be by this method turns off the first until its own intelligence, has

" 'been transmitted.

What I claim as my invention is: 1. An apparatus for transmitting over a'single channel a relatively continuous signal and a superimposed slowly increasing and sharply decreasing intelligible impulse signal, comprising a transmission channel, signal input means, means for introducing therein a relatively continuous signal, means for introducing therein a slowly increasing and sharply decreasing intelligible impulse signal, means by which the increase of the intelligible impulse signal reduces the sensitivity of the signal input means, said means per- ;for generating a slowly increasin and sharply decreasing shot moment signal, means for impressing said shot moment signal on an element of an amplifying tube in said channel at operating conditions such that the slow increase of the shot moment signal reduces the amplification of said tube and the sharp decrease of said shot moment signal restores the amplification of said tube, thereby immediately returning said .channel to normal operation substantially in time coincidence with said shot moment signal.

3. In a signalling system, apparatus for transmitting on a single channel a steady alternating voltage signal and a relatively infrequent unidirectlonal impulse signal comprisinga transmis sion channel, means for generating a steady alternating voltage signal, means for impressing said alternating voltage signal on an element of an amplifying tube in said channel at condiin said channel at operating conditions such I that said slow increase of the unidirectionalvoltv tions of a normal operating point for said tube, means for generating a slowly increasing and sharply decreasing unidirectional voltage signal, means for impressing said unidirectional volt-. age signal on an element of an amplifying tube age signal reduces the amplification of said tube and said sharp decrease of the unidirectional voltage signal restores amplification of said tube, thereby immediately returning said channel to normal operation substantially in time coincidence with said sharp decrease of undirectional voltage signal.

4. In a seismograph signalling system, the method of transmitting on a single channel a timing signal and a shot moment signal which comprises generating an alternating timing signal, impressing said'alternating timing signal on the channel at conditions of normal operation, generating a slowly increasing and sharply decreasing shot moment signal whose sharp de crease indicates the shot moment, impressing said shot moment signal on said transmission channel at conditions'such that it slowly increases and sharply decreases the attenuation of said transmission channel, whereby the instant of said sharp decrease in attentuation may be indicative of the shot moment.

OTTO F. RI'TZMANN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,902,650 Legg Mar. 21. 1933 2,075,285 Hollingsworth Mar. 30, 1937 2,192,189. Haffcke Mar. 5, 1940 2,321,971 Becker June 15, 1943 2,326,153 -Mayne Aug. 10, 1943 2360.466 Bedford et a1 Oct. 17, 1944 2,369,082 Shook et a1 Feb. 6, 1945 

